Today we’d like to take a moment to applaud the parents who despite many challenges, did they best they could and did right by their kids. We asked folks to share stories of what they feel their parents got right and have shared highlights below.

lisa huber

I think the best thing my parents did in raising me was to make sure whatever I was doing, I was trying my best. The value of this is, regardless of the success or failures I encounter in life, I know I was giving it everything I could! Read more>>

David Jordan Jr

I’m forever indebted to my parents. Everything starts with them. From day one their love, guidance, wisdom, faith and belief and support of all of my goals are the reason that I have attained the successes I’ve accomplished in my life in multiple areas. My parents taught me that through faith in GOD and with hard work all things will come to pass and be revealed to me. My parents made sacrifices to ensure that I (and my sister) had all of the necessities needed for a productive and positive life and the opportunities to be successful. My mother and father instilled in me the importance of academic excellence prior to me attending pre-school and the importance and discipline required to become a scholar inspired me in all areas of my life. Read more>>

Gabi Garcia-Gallont

Whatever I have achieved and become, I have accomplished with hard work and passion. But I have to give immense credit to my parents who understood the importance of allowing me to follow a less conventional route, even when it meant venturing into an industry that was just emerging, at an age where I knew very little. All I had was a lot of energy and a desire to put myself out there and discover. Read more>>

Zac Seewald

In the world of entrepreneurship, challenges are as common as opportunities, if not more so. As a photographer, these challenges seem to be waiting at every turn to strike just when you think you have things running smoothly. Often, the highest profile shoot of one’s career is balanced by the principles of these unexpected obstacles. Should that scare me, make me nervous, or compel me to quit? Fear freezes the brain, nervousness leads to small mistakes, and quitting, well, that’s just not an option. “Better,” my parents would say, “to truly identify the imbalance and balance it.” Read more>>

Delaney White

My parents are my biggest supporters in life. I was a crazy child (still am) and they kept up with all of it. they were up with me at 6 am for choir in grade school. They pushed me to go to my lacrosse practices even when I really did not want to go. My mom signed me up for the best voice teacher that she could find in our area. She asked her friends what theatre their kids were involved in, and when it came to my career and my college degree, She was up at 4:00 am sitting in the freezing cold outside of Pearl Studios to hold a place in line for me so I could sleep in before my auditions. They supported me in every way that they knew how. My mother wanted to be a singer but didn’t know where to begin, so she made it a point to not let her child miss the same opportunity. Read more>>

Gabriela Espitia

I was only 9 years old when I wanted to start my business, and at that time it was really all up to my parents to allow me to do so or not. It is quite a risk to give your child the okay to their idea at such a young age, just as much as it is to dissuade them from moving forward. If you say no, your kid will feel disappointed and could lose interest in the topic entirely. However, if you encourage their entrepreneurial idea and things go poorly, their lack of maturity could ingrain in them the idea that they are a hopeless failure. Read more>>

Richard Oelberger

I always joke about Friday nights at my house. The doorbell rung frequently and often it would take 10-30 minutes before a friend would appear at my door. I soon realized my parents were spending time and caring for each friend and taking an interest in them. I think this modeled community, sensitivity, inclusiveness, and care as values to live by. At this same time, they showed me unconditional love, even when I underperformed, showing trust that I would make it and be successful in whatever I chose to apply myself. Knowing we are wanted and loved is a key ingredient for abundance, as Ive since learned! Read more>>

Frantzie Jean

Through our parents we learn so much about the world. As we watch them age, they indirectly teach us various lessons about life through different seasons. You know what they say about mothers… “mothers are always right!”. My mother has always been my idol. Read more>>

Jalen McNish

I don’t think there is any one right way to parent or raise children, but I can say that there were things my parents did right especially in raising me which I think were detrimental not even to me being an artist but who I am as a person. One thing I feel my parents did right was to always keep me around art or artistic media. My father was filmmaker and photographer so often times I would go with him on one his sets or locations where he would be filming. I would also see him sit and work at the computer for hours on end editing videos and projects. When He would finally show me the final product I remember saying it was always like magic seeing how he took something from a simple idea to now an actual work of ar. I often think about these moments now in terms of how they have somewhat molded me into an artist. Read more>>

Karina Morin

From the time I was in the womb ( or I can only imagine ) my parents exposed me to incredible music and soundtracks growing up. They fostered and nurtured my creative expressions, ever since they saw I had an inkling. They gave me the freedom to explore, play and express, as well as they encouraged me every step of the way. They took me to watch many great concerts, knowing I would be inspired and in awe. Read more>>

Virgilia Virjoghe

What my parents did fantastically well is exposing me to a great value system since I was very young. Born in an ex-communist country without freedom of speech and ability to travel overseas, they made sure to obtain incredible books for me to read. At the time they were secretly published however my parents made sure to get access to them. Secondly they enrolled me into sports activities: early on I learned to ski, run track etc. They showed me our beautiful country by traveling as much as we could. They allowed me to sit down at the table with successful adults who often visited us and witness high-level conversations. One of the greatest influences in my life remain my maternal grandparents: the love of my life. Having spent a good portion of my childhood at their farm at the border with former Yugoslavia has impacted who I am today personally and professionally. Read more>>

Kelly Bagla

Kelly Bagla, Esq. International Award-winning Attorney and Entrepreneur. On Mission Helping Business Owners Succeed. Coming from a family of seven successful, motivated siblings, people often ask what my parents did right. My mother and father instilled in each of us the importance of getting an education, whatever discipline we would choose. Read more>>

Maja Trochimczyk

My parents were 100% Slavic, with ancestors living in ancient Slavic lands since the end of the Ice Age, 11 thousands years ago. Aleksy Trochimczyk was of Belarussian and Ukrainian roots, born near Grodek Bialostocki. Henryka Wajszczuk was of Polish ancestry, nobles living on small estates near Baranowicze in what is now Belarus, on my Grandma’s side, and farmers from a Royal village of Trzebieszow in Poland’s Lublin area, on my Grandpa’s side. They did not have easy lives, especially their childhoods, traumatized by the second World War. Extreme poverty, hunger, oppression, and deaths in the family (my father), the same plus loss of everything but life, while escaping from Soviet-occupied Polish lands back to my Grandpa’s village (my mother). They survived – thanks to their resilience and hard work. “Never give up, no matter how difficult it is.” Read more>>

Rita Kakati-Shah

As a British Assamese growing up in London, my parents had always instilled the message of embracing British culture, while never forgetting my heritage. To this day, everyone who knows me – or has even met me briefly, knows exactly that! I’m English, Assamese, and now American, having emigrated to the States 12 years ago. The work I do with Uma has confidence and owning your own narrative at its core, and that is solely due to my upbringing and formative parental values! Read more>>

Stephanie Shanley

My parents taught me many valuable life lessons including the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. My mom, Kathy taught me the importance of cooking healthy meals to share with my family. As a child, we shared the majority of our dinners around the kitchen table & mom always included a side salad to make sure she offered plenty of green veggies to us. Now being a mom to 4 of my own children I am constantly searching for healthy recipes & making healthy meals for us to share around our kitchen table. Last year with my son Casey we even grew our own tomatoes & zucchini. It was so fun growing & eating our own food. My dad, Steve is known for his daily walking. Read more>>

Dr. Latasha Ramsey-Cyprian

I am so blessed and grateful to have had the parents that I did. My father is now deceased and he passed away when I was 27. He made a huge impact in my life during those 27 years. My parents are the epitome of love, hard work and grace. They raised me to be compassionate, humble, honest and to have good work ethics. One of the biggest reasons I am where I am today is because of them. My mother was a stay at home mom until my youngest brother started kindergarten. Once he started school she began working with my father in his landscaping business. She was a female in a male dominating industry and I never heard her complain about the hard work she did. Because of that, she taught me how to be resilient. Growing up, she was great with budgeting and saving money. Seeing the way she handled money responsibly impacted my life and my career and a Credit Strategist. Read more>>

Gina Gaiser

Growing up, my parents, both first-generation college students who pursued advanced degrees, instilled in me the importance of continuous learning and its potential for personal and professional growth. As educators, they didn’t work during the summer months, which allowed them to take our family on journeys around the world. While, at times, it felt like we were being dragged through historical ruins, churches, and museums, the impact of these experiences became clear later when I attended college. In an art history class, I encountered a painting I had previously seen in real life. The stark difference between someone describing the painting and the actual experience of seeing it in person became vividly clear. It was at that moment that I fully appreciated the gift my parents had given me. These travels not only sparked my passion for art but also contributed to my understanding of cultural heritage and artistic expression. Read more>>

Oscar Pan

There are many things I’m grateful to my parents for, but I definitely wouldn’t be the musical artist I am today without the two things they taught me: an open mind and tenacity. My dad used to work on ships involved in international trade, so he got to experience many places around the world well before I was born. Since I was a kid, my dad would share all the stories of his work on the ship and his experiences overseas. Of course, these stories piqued my interest in exploring what’s out there beyond my own country. However, I’m even more thankful for the annual plan my dad and I made to travel to at least one new place in the world each summer to experience something from the other side of the world. Read more>>

Molly Lewison

I’ve been extremely lucky to have parents that encouraged me to chase my dreams unapologetically (even when it scared them). My father instilled professionalism, hard work and respect. My mother encouraged my adventurous side and the combination has prepared me for a fulfilling life. Read more>>

Kat Lam

This is an interesting question given my background. I’m first generation Chinese American and I’m fortunate enough to have parents that break the stereotypes associated with Asian parents. Don’t get me wrong, discipline and studying were top priorities in my household growing up, but they also created an environment for me that made space for my creativity. They realized the joy art brought me at a very young age and really encouraged me to play and explore—they exposed me to a wide rage of art institutions on a regular basis and allowed me to pursue a variety of art activities in my free time, like summertime art camp. Read more>>

Aviana Vonnette

I’m a big believer of our soul choosing certain people and events to come into our lives to help us evolve. My soul definitely chose my mom to help me grow and I’m extremely grateful. My mom and I have been through some real growing pains in our relationship. The first incident was when she kicked me out at 19. Her and I did not see eye to eye, as most parents with their teens. She felt the best solution was for us to no longer live together. At first, this was devastating for me. It brought on a battle with mental illness that I did not think I was equipped for. During this battle with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation I found my spiritual self. Because I was so hopeless I welcomed anything that reignited the spark within my soul. Read more>>

Haley D. Heibel, M.D.

My parents have and continue to be extremely supportive of me. They encouraged me to pursue my dreams and to nurture inner confidence along the journey. As a dermatologist, my father has impacted my choice to pursue dermatology and commitment to the field. He never tried to influence me to pursue this path, but has done nothing but aid me in the process. My mother is an incredibly generous and strong woman and previous school teacher, who has instilled in me confidence to express myself as a female author and creative and nurtured my love of children’s books. Read more>>

Simona Grace

I grew up in a communist country, where empty grocery store shelves and waiting in line for food was the norm. My home was filled with stories from my great-grandmother, grandparents, and mom. They talked about the tough times during the war and how they worked hard to get back on their feet. They taught me that with determination, any challenge can be faced. Read more>>

Naomi Porter

My parents created a home environment where we were able to ask questions and embrace creativity. We never had an idea that was too foolish or a thought that wasn’t relevant. Any time we had an idea we were supported and encouraged. Likewise, service was always an integral part of my family structure and we were taught at a young age the importance of giving back and helping others. Read more>>

David Heckenberg

My dear sweet mother is my biggest inspiration, my heart knows how to love because of you. This is a letter my dad gave me in 1-21-03, you rock!! “David the Son The two most valuable gifts parents can give their children are (1) respect as conscious beings with individual rights, and (2) environments that promoted honesty, assertive effort, integrity, independence, and the skill to perceive reality accurately. Read more>>